The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-03-03
A MUCH NEGLECTED INDUS
TRY.

The cultivation of broom corn is a
subject of which the GOLD LEAF has
heretofore spoken, and believing 1t
could be made profitable industry IN
this section we again touch upon It.
The need of the South, and North
Carolina particularly, is a diversified
agriculture, and the establishment OF
small manufacturing industries IN
greater variety and number. And no
field perhaps offers finer opportunity
for proper development in this respect
than our immediate section. In the
cultivation, and manufacture into
brooms and brushes, Of broom corn
alone large and profitable industry
is open to our people. On this sub
jet the Lynchburg Ad0aace says:
The necessity for diversified indus
tries can be no longer ignored. For
the past two or three years staple farm
products in this section have been de-
preciated in price to an alarming ex-
tent, and the farmer is DOW anxiously
inquiring " hat to do to replenish his
waning income; what crop he can
produce that can be converted into
money at short notice, and will bring
at least a living price.
The cultivation of broom corn is
now being seriously considered by
numbers of our best farmers, and
many will adopt it as the "money
crop" for the ensuing year. Their
reasons for doing SO are obvious to
those who know anything of the Gull
ture, and marketable value of broom
corn. 1t is easy to raise; requires no
more cultivation than corn; can be
grown proftably upon the average
farm land, and requires no more room
for housing than tobacco.
To those who contemplate planting
a crop of broom corn this year, we
would say it will pay to do SO. Get
the evergreen variety. Don't plant
too thin, ifyou do the quality of the
brush will be coarse and not SO valua-
bic as the shorter and finer brush-cut
and house when the seed are turning
red, and your corn will cure bright
green color. If allowed to get ripe
and turn red, the brush is brittle and
is of very little use. 1t is best to seed
the corn as it is housed for several rea
sons. 1t is easier to handle with the
seed off, and cures much faster with
less danger of molding. An immense
quantity can be cured in an ordinary
tobacco barn, by making scaffolds OF
rails or poles, and spreading a layer Of
corn on them four or five inches thick,
commencing near the floor and max
ing the scaffolds one foot apart. This
gives the corn plenty of air to prevent
heating or molding, and the scaffolds
may be continued as high up in the
barn as is deemed necessary, thus Civ
ing ample room to cure large crop.
The seed are also valuable as food for
hogs, horses or cows-when fed to
horses or COWS, it is best to grind and
use it with some other food. 1t also
makes fine food for chickens and other
fowls, owners of poultry yards being
large buyers.
The seed are said to be worth on
the market at least one-fourth as much
as the brush. When the crop of corn
is ready for market, cut the stalk of
within four inches of the brush, and
bale the brush in as compact shape as
possible. The stalk can be proftably
used as bedding for the stables and
farm yard.
This crop is largely and profitably
raised in the North and West. Why
not here? Let some of our enterpris-
ing farmers give it trial. We under
take to say that it will pay better than
raising inferior Tugs or marketing
primings and frost bitten tobacco
smokers